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Moose unit 325 south of Anaconda...help please.

The thrill of drawing a Shiras Moose tag has been met with frustration in planning. Initial thought was to hire an outfitter to help me due to my lack of moose experience and the rarity of drawing a tag. All leads in this department has been met with dead ends. Can't find anyone who guides that specific area and have had poor luck even getting a call back from several outfitters. Looking like Ill be hitting it on my own. Should be able to get several weeks off to hunt if need be. Figured Id ask here if anyone has any info on the area, guides, packers, or moose in MT.

Moose hunting is not easy in MT. They are scattered about, but as you may expect frequent some areas more than others. With your tag there are some good marshy areas in the lower stretches of the drainages that head into the Pintlers. Bulls and cows like these areas a lot.

The high marshy basins also have moose, but will likely require a packer to get them out.

Moose also like burned slopes with water nearby, especially later in the season.

If you can hunt hard around mid September calling in those marshy areas could pay off big.

Tracking in the snow in the late season is a good tactic also.

Fran Johnson's sporting goods 406-782-3322 in Butte may be able to turn you onto good information, a good outfitter, or packer for that area.

Talk to a wildlife biologist for that region. When I drew a moose tag, it was for my second choice and I didn't know the area well. FWP biologists, wardens, and those who have drawn tags in that area are great resources. Without those people's help, I never would have had success during my hunt. If you can talk to someone who drew a tag in that area, they can be a great source of info. In my experience, people are much less competitive (for lack of a better word) with the big 3 tags in MT (moose, sheep, and goat) since a person can't apply for 7 years after drawing one, and are generally more willing to provide specific info on areas to key in on. Doing it yourself without an outfitter will be a much more rewarding experience. Hope this helps and best of luck!